Tropical Islands is set in a large dome, 35km south of Berlin Schoenefeld and boasts white sandy beaches, hot air balloon rides, a tropical rain forest, spa and sauna and much much more. It all comes at a bit of a hefty price though of course. Here is my full review of Tropical Islands in Kausnick.

As we spotted the top of the large dome through the trees ahead of us, I started to feel a buzz of excitement, knowing we were soon going to be enveloped by tropical warmth, white sandy beaches and warm waters for the children to play in. I'd heard of Tropical Islands before, but it was the first time I was going myself, taking advantage of having a car for a short while (there is a shuttle service from the nearest train station for those who don't own a car.)

We parked in front of the entrance (make sure to go to the front of the dome, rather than parking at the back (the service area), like we accidentally did at first). You'll know you are at the front because there will be flags flying. As we went mid-week, during the day, it was pretty empty and we easily got a spot (there are over-spill car parks further away from the Tropical Islands dome for its busiest days). We made our way in to the dome, excitement building and a very nice man greeted us and pointed us in the direction of the ticket counters. You can book your tickets prior to arrival online or you can pay on the day there. There are three types of day tickets: either Tropical World, which includes the Tropical Rainforest, Shopping Boulevard, Tropical Village, Lagoon, Tropical Sea and Tropical Club for Kids, a combi-ticket which also includes the Tropical Sauna and Spa Complex or an all-inclusive day ticket, which includes food and drink and many of the extras you have to pay for normally. You can check out the price of that ticket here (I warn you, it'll probably come at a shock!.) There are also options to stay overnight. More on that later.

We paid the steep entrance fee for the Tropical World (under 6's get in free, 6-15 year olds cost from €27 and adults from €34.50* - full prices listed below), then the woman at the counter handed us each something that looked a bit like a watch, which was a chip wristband. You use the chip wristband to pay for any extras you want during your stay ie. drinks and food, rides on the slides and hot air balloons etc so there is no need to have cash or cards on you whilst you are on the beach or anywhere else exploring the Tropical World. She also handed us a map of the place (Tropical Islands is impressively large, so this can come in handy) and pointed us in the direction of the lockers and changing rooms.

Something that wasn't explained to us, but worth knowing, was that the adult chip wristbands each had a number on them. These numbers belonged to lockers (that are included in the entry price) and there are signs in the locker room saying which lockers are where. You use the chip wristband to lock your locker by simply placing it against the round picture on the door and listen for the 'click' sound. The lockers are large in size and we found that one was enough for all our stuff (we had an Ikea bag filled with items as well as a medium sized travel bag).

The locker room also includes a dozen or so changing cabins, including a few that are 'family sized' and hairdryers. The website says you should wear sandals whilst walking around and you are only supposed to wear bathing-attire at the beaches and swimming pools and you are recommended to bring 'summer clothing' for when strolling around the rest of the island (we did, however, see a number of people wearing bathing suits at the food hall area.

Once you are dressed and ready to go, you can head out in to the tropical world and explore. The first thing I felt wandering around is an absolute awe of the place, but then I felt a little disappointed at the temperature. Thinking of 'tropics' I had got it in to my head that the place would be boiling hot, however, it wasn't really. Warm enough to wear a T Shirt, but certainly not as warm as a good Berlin Summer's day. Still, we headed to the beach and my oldest (4) was thrilled to run on to the sand and start playing with his playground toys (definitely don't forget these) in the water.

Just up from the beach there is a slightly raised platform housing a number of deck chairs and the white sand was wonderfully clean and inviting. The water was a bit cold at first touch (another slight disappointment), but you couldn't help but be swept up by the thought of being on a beach in January. There is a large picture of the sky and clouds, which made you feel like you were in The Truman Show and in the water, a number of cute huts and buildings (see photo below), as well as a little bridge, can be found. The main pool is too deep for little ones to play around solo, however, on one side of the beach, you can find a separate children's pool area where the water is a bit warmer and there are cute little slides and water fountains to keep the kids entertained. I unfortunately couldn't get a photo of this part without children in (which I don't publish online), but there are a few (not very detailed unfortunately) photos you can see here.

For the older children (and grown ups who dare) Tropical Islands boasts Germany's highest water tower slide, coming in at 27 metres high (for over 14s only), along with 3 other fun water slides. Keep in mind though that a ride on these slides costs extra above your entrance fee price (€5 per day for riding the slides), the cost of which gets put on your chip wristband, to be paid for at the end of your day at Tropical Islands.

In the Tropical Rainforest, keep your eye out and you can spot flamingos, birds and even a wandering peacock if you are lucky. There are a few other bits and pieces to be found in there, but don't expect it to be massive, as I had. Still, it's a rainforest in a massive dome. That's kind of fun in of itself.

Overhead you will likely spot one or two hot air balloons floating. One of the balloons stays in position and simply goes up and down, the other moves around a few areas of the Tropical World (the white one). I was amazed to discover that there was actually a harnessed man to be found underneath the moving hot air balloon, as was my 4 year old who found it really funny. Rides on both balloons cost extra on top of the standard entrance prices.

The website states that the only food and drink you are allowed to bring is baby food and food for diabetics, allergy sufferers. That said, we never had our bags searched... The Island holds 13 different bars and restaurants with varying price points. A number had high chairs on offer for babies/toddlers and I saw signs for kids meals (at €9.90 each). All the food and drink purchased will once again be registered on your chip wristbands. You can find out more about the bars and restaurants on offer here.

The Tropino Club for Kids offers a dry play area for the little ones, with a large climbing frame, soft-ball shooting, giant Lego blocks and more. As well as this, there is a themed treasure hunt each day at 3pm and a children's disco at 4.30pm. Entry to the Tropino Club for Kids is free as are the activities. More info can be found here.

I didn't have my camera with me the whole time I was there, as I was of course in the water and playing with the kids most of the time, but there is lots to discover and see. Aztec-looking faces and buildings, apartments that look like they come from the Wild West and a shopping boulevard selling a number of seaside-type products.

Most of the island is buggy-friendly, with lots of ramps and flat ground to maneuver around. It is probably best to bring a lock with you if you plan to spend a lot of time on the beach.

As the skies darken outside, so do the skies inside the dome and the low-lighting turns on, which, in the Winter, made it feel a bit like 8pm, only it was 4pm! It added a little romantic edge to the place though and it was nice to feel warm enough to be sat by the paddling pool in just a bathing suite.

You don't have to leave in the evening though as overnight stays are also possible. There are a number of options available, from sleeping in teepees and tents on a separate beach area (to the one photographed), to staying in a hotel, apartments or villas all located in the Tropical World. Prices are similar to that of a high-range hotel for the hotel and apartments. Family rooms are also available. The full range of overnight options for Tropical Islands can be found here.

We left Tropical Islands early evening, after a lovely day spent there. My initial thoughts on the place were a little negative. I was surprised at the lack of real tropical climate (the standard temperature inside the dome is around 26 degrees) and lack of bright light (during the day, the dome is totally dependent on daylight and so, if it isn't a bright day outside, it likely won't be super bright inside the dome either), however, we did have a wonderful day there and you could easily while away 8 hours in there. My oldest boy absolutely loved it and my baby was both confused and intrigued by it all. It is definitely a pricey day out once you add food and drinks and any other extras to the final bill, but, we really enjoyed our day there and, if you can give yourself a good full day there, it is totally worth the experience.

More details and photos for Tropical Islands can be found below:Tropical Islands

Website: Tropical Islands (website in English and German)Where: Tropical-Islands-Allee 1, 15910 Krausnick (South of Berlin)Food & Drinks: YesNearest Transport:Station: Brand (Niederlausitz)You can get here from Berlin with the Regional Express RE2 or the RB14 (these run hourly). The train journey from Alexanderplatz (the trains are also available from other stations in Berlin) takes roughly 50 minutes. A free Tropical Islands shuttle bus travels from Brand shortly after each train arrives. You can search train times (in German) here.

Additional ChargesWater slide tower (per day) €5.00Entry to Tropical World from the Tropical Sauna & Spa Complex, or vice versa, per day (not valid for Kombi-Tickets) €12.00Evening Show adults €15.00Evening Show children (age 6-14) €10.00Fitness Club per day (entrance is included both in sauna-ticket and kombi-ticket) €5.00The African Jungle Lift per ride €3.00